Rainy day from my window- Saikiran Sahu

Rain is a boon; without rain, there is no life. We don't understand its importance until it is taken away. I understood this during my summer holidays. That one day taught me a lot. I was watching the dark clouds hovering over our house, blocking the skin-burning rays of the mighty Sun, giving a great sense of relief after the days of torture that I bleared. 

With a flash of loud, boisterous lightning, the clouds started to pour their precious beads of water with the gush of a cold breeze that slightly touched my face as if wanting to convey a message. 

The soothing tingles and pitter-patter of the rain made my eyes shut, putting me to sleep just like my mother used to when I was an infant. Even the trees were dancing to the beats of the rain as if in a dance party. The smell of the fresh mud gave me a homely feeling and eventually sent me down memory lane!

This was my experience of a rainy day from my window.

Saikiran Sahu

Grade- IX 

Gyanshree School

Image courtesy- Unsplash

Two men looked out the prison bars; one saw a mud, one saw stars - Pasang Sherpa

Life is strange, and so are the humans. We have very different perspectives and ways of doing things. Some people get up and continue their journey even after knowing their chosen path is difficult. But some people seem to be hopeless. Likewise, this quote emphasises the different perspectives of two people for one thing. As it is said, "Two men looked out the prison bars: one saw mud, one saw stars". The first person who saw mud was hopeless and thought whatever he was doing was futile, while the other had an optimistic feeling that one day, like stars, he would attain glory and freedom.

Name-Pasang Sherpa

Pestalozzi Children's Village Society

Image Courtesy- Flickr

Two men looked out the prison bars; one saw mud, one saw stars - Nishan Karki

The image is for representation only.

The man who saw the mud was sad and angry. He never remained happy and was very aggressive. He never practised happiness; in fact, he did not know it. He could not control his emotions and actions. He often fought with the other prisoners. This made the other prisoners hate him. They never wanted to be with him except for the prisoners who resembled him in nature.

What about the man who saw stars?   Well, he was a man with a joyful and happy nature. He laughed a lot and made other prisoners laugh, too. The other prisoners always enjoyed his company. They preferred him rather than the first prisoner. Although he was a prisoner, he was soft-hearted.

Everyone has different perspectives, perceptions, ideas, views, opinions and experiences. They usually differ from each other. People's behaviour and actions define who they are. 

To be like the second prisoner, one must have a healthy (pure and soft) heart. He must know how to control his emotions and actions. He must know how to behave with others and enjoy their company. He must be happy. Remember, "the one who gets angry for a minute loses 60 seconds of happiness."

A positive attitude and mindset can also make a person happy and joyful, like the second man. To get happiness, one must have a burning desire for it, which must be mixed with faith to gain it.

"To change ourselves effectively, we first had to change our perceptions." – Stephen R. Covey. 

Nishan Karki

Class 10, Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Image Courtesy- iStock

The Moon - Saikiran Sahu

Mond-Wo kann ich dich finden?

Oh! Mein lieber Mond, wo kann ich dich finden?

Die langen schlaflosen Nächte, in denen ich nach dir gesucht habe,

Die dichte Decke aus schwarzem Nebel, die mich verfolgte, als ich mit dir sprechen wollte 

Weder kann ich den großen Bären sehen, noch kann ich dich sehen 

Oh! Mein lieber Mond, wo finde ich dich?

Oh, mein lieber Mond, wo kann ich dich finden?

Ich kann die strahlende Schönheit und die bezaubernden Züge, die dich beschreiben, nicht übersehen,

Der Hoffnungsschimmer in der dunklen Nacht, der von dir ausgeht,

Du stehst allein in der Dunkelheit wie ein tapferer Soldat und der

"Ein-Mann-Armee", die dich treffend beschreibt. 

Aber mit Traurigkeit sage ich 

Oh, mein lieber Mond, wo kann ich dich finden?

                          

Moon-Where Can I Find You?

Oh! My dear moon, where can I find you?

The long sleepless nights I spent searching for you,

The thick cover of dark and black mist spooked me when I wanted to talk to you 

Neither can I see the great bear nor can I see you 

Oh! My dear moon, where can I find you?

Oh! My dear moon, where can I find you?

Can never unsee the radiant beauty and the enchanting features that describe you,

The ray of hope in the dark night that is showered by you,

Standing alone in the dark like a brave soldier and the

the phrase"One man army" that rightly describes you 

But with sadness, I say 

Oh! My dear moon, where can I find you?

Saikiran Sahu
IX-C Gyanshree School 

Image source: https://www.instyle.com/lifestyle/astrology/how-to-make-moon-water

Two men looked out the prison bars; one saw mud, one saw stars - Sakshi Singh

This age-old saying beautifully encapsulates the power of perspective. It reminds us that even in seemingly bleak situations, there exists an opportunity to find hope and positivity. It's a poignant reminder that our outlook on life dramatically influences our experiences, and sometimes, shifting our focus can reveal unexpected beauty and potential amidst adversity.

Sakshi Singh  

Grade 9 Gyanshree School

Image Source https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Children-reading-a-book-together-4017898

My Sunday School - Manisha Khanna

Today, on World Mental Health Day, I would like to share my reason for joining "The Sunday School". 

IKIGAI, for me, is Sunday School. "Ikigai" is a Japanese word that signifies "life purpose" or "raison d'être." I don't engage in a lot of activities on Sunday. I work six days a week and take Sundays off, but when I learned about SUNDAY SCHOOL, I saw that this was precisely what I had wanted to do all these years as an avid reader. I resonated with the idea of Sunday School right away. We all have a ton to do on Sunday, but after two weeks, I learned that this time is my IKIGAI. This is how my relationship with the Sunday School began.

"Reading without reflection is like eating without digestion." —Edward Burke.

I'm looking forward to receiving everyone's reflections for this week.

Manisha Khanna

Your Sunday School host

The Koala on the tree - Rishona Chopra

There sat a cute koala on the tree, 

Eating all the fruits, he could see. 

There I came and cuddled him, 

We could hear the sound of hymns. 

He sat there lazily, 

Waiting to be petted by me. 

He was missing his family, 

Dreaming of a fantasy. 

Why do we enclose him in these bars?

It simply shows our ugly scars. 

Though we hurt him, 

He never shows he is grim. 

But loves us like anything, 

Waiting for his happy spring. 

Rishona Chopra

Grade VII

Gyanshree School